


Looking For Something More.

by inrawrwithyou



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Everyone Has Issues, F/M, Friendship, Gryffindor, HP: EWE, M/M, Post War, Redemption, Romance, Slytherin, cliche dramione fic, dramione - Freeform, obviously, war changes people
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-02
Updated: 2016-11-27
Packaged: 2018-08-28 16:08:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8452948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inrawrwithyou/pseuds/inrawrwithyou
Summary: The war is over and Hermione is going back to Hogwarts without Harry and Ron. Who else is returning? How has the war changed people?New Friendships will be made, surprise reveals will happen and this year at Hogwarts may be the strangest one yet.
A pretty cliche Dramione story.





	1. Hogwarts Letters

**Author's Note:**

> I read over my story, edit and correct things myself but I do not have an editor or someone reading over it for me so there will no doubt be errors or inconsistances I don't notice, please feel free to point them out to me, I'll be grateful as long as you're not rude about it, in which case I may just ignore the mistake out of spite.

Dear Miss Granger,

We here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would like to formally invite you back for an Eighth Year at our school which will act as a separate Year Group from this year’s Seventh Years but will join a few or many of their classes depending on how many students decide to return. This will give students an opportunity to complete their education and obtain their N.E.W.T’’s which were not taken last year due to the events that occurred not only at the end of the school year but also all the events throughout the year that stifled students learning through intimidation and terror. Also for the many students who did not attend, to go into hiding or muggle-born students whom were taken and imprisoned upon their arrival.

Though last year was a year of many losses and hardships, I implore you to choose to return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, to experience the true magic and wonder it holds, and for our Eighth Years to leave our school in the end with no regrets and only love in their hearts for our school. To remember us in the end, not as a collapsed building full of horrors and sad memories, but of what we have always been; a home filled with love, friendship and happy memories.

Should you choose to return, please find enclosed your list of books you will need to purchase for your year at Hogwarts.

Miss Hermione Granger, I would like to offer you the position of Head Girl should you be choosing to return. I sincerely hope to see you at Hogwarts in September.

I eagerly await your owl, please inform me of your decision ASAP.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall.

Headmistress.

 

Hermione stared at the parchment in her hands blankly, it not quite having registered in her brain what the letter was saying.

_They could go back?_

She hadn’t dared hope that they would be able to return to Hogwarts ever again, not unless they were going as guests or teachers. Yet here it was, the opportunity to go home. _Home._

And it was the only home she really had now. Hers had been destroyed by Death Eaters during the war when they had come looking for her and found an empty house, her parents were somewhere in Australia and she didn’t have the resources to go looking for them, nor the knowledge of how to retrieve their memories safely, without damaging their minds.

She has been staying with Harry at 12 Grimmauld Place, though they spent most of the time at The Burrow with the Weasley’s, but neither place was her _home._

Hogwarts was the closest place to a home she had at the moment and she didn’t need to mull the idea over or consider it, she knew what she was going to do, she was going home.

Hermione ran out of the kitchen and straight up to her room, grabbing a piece of parchment and smoothing it out on her desk, dipping her quill into the inkwell. The quill scrawled across the parchment lightning fast, her writing messy and leaving ink smudges along the way, before attaching it to her owl Hermes and sending it off to McGonagall as fast as she could move.

As she watched Hermes fly off into the distance, she felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off her chest and only now could she breathe deep cleansing breaths for the first time in months; gasping breaths into her lungs as though oxygen was going out of style.

“Hermione! Are you alright?!” Harry rushed from Hermione’s doorway to grip her shoulders, trying to gauge if she was having a panic attack. Her gasps had been so loud he had heard them in his room opposite hers.

“I’m fine… Harry I said I’m fine stop yanking on my arms!” Hermione pulled her arms away from where harry had been gripping them, trying to get her to respond.

“Were you having a panic attack?” he asked softly, his green eyes sympathetic.

“No… no it wasn’t a panic attack. Haven’t you received a letter?”

“What? Uh yeah a few have come today, I put them on my desk, thought I’d read them later. Why? What’s going on ‘Mione?”

Before she could tell him the news, the fireplace roared from the living room and they ran downstairs to a soot covered ginger emerging from the fireplace.

“Hey guys! Did you get your Hogwarts letters?” Ron exclaimed, patting at his robes and succeeding only in spreading the soot over his hand and the carpet.

“Hogwarts letter?” Harry inquired, looking bewildered as he turned to look at Hermione questioningly.

Hermione sighed at Ron’s attempts to clean himself and raised her wand, “ _Scourgify!_ ” The soot disappeared from Ron’s robes, hand and the carpet.

“Thanks ‘Mione.” Ron smiled at her.

“Guys! What Hogwarts letter?” Harry yelled, waving his arms slightly, to get their attention unnecessarily.

“Oh honestly, I was trying to tell you Harry. We got letters from Hogwarts this morning, go read it!”

“Can’t you just tell me what it says?” Harry whined, playfully.

Hermione smiled slightly and shook her head at Harry fondly, “It was from Professor McGonagall, she’s given our year the option to come back to complete our education and get our N.E.W.T’s! Isn’t that great?!” Hermione exclaimed, excitedly.

“Oh yes, more education! The dream!” Ron proclaimed sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

“Well how are we supposed to get good careers without N.E.W.T’s Ronald!”

“We’ve already been asked to join the Aurors’ ‘Mione! We don’t need N.E.W.T’s!”

“I don’t want to be an Auror Ron! I want to go back to Hogwarts! And what about when you’re older and want a safer job? You won’t have the qualifications for anything!”

“We’re war heroes ‘Mione! We’ll be accepted anywhere, I don’t need any bloody N.E.W.T’s!”

“I hope you’re not thinking you can get by for the rest of your life Ronald depending on people giving you things and catering to you just because of your war hero status!”

“Why not?! Don’t we deserve it?!”

“NO! THAT’S NOT OKAY! Don’t you want more Ron? I- I just feel like if we don’t go back then this is it, this is our life now and I… Ron I want _more._ ” Hermione ended in a whisper.

Ron’s face softened, he moved to take her face in his hands, “Hermione… I-I know things didn’t work out between us… me and Harry have noticed you’ve been a bit sad and lonely, we- we know you miss your parents-“

“I don’t want to talk about my parents again!” Hermione pulled her face out of Ron’s hands, “Until there’s something I can actually do about getting them back I don’t want to think about it!”

Hermione sighed deeply, “I’m going back to Hogwarts; I’ve already sent McGonagall my reply. I guess you won’t be coming back Ron, and Harry you’ll probably not either, you’ve been wanting to be an Auror since Barty Crouch Jr. mentioned it. But guys, I _need_ this, I feel like whatever I’m looking for, the something more I want, I can only get it by going back.”

Harry pushed off from the wall he had previously been trying to merge with to avoid being sucked into Hermione and Ron’s argument, and he took Hermione’s hands in his, “Hermione, I don’t really understand why you feel this way but then you always did understand a bit, well a lot more than anyone, so I just want you to know that I’ll always support you, even if I don’t understand you sometimes. I hope you find your something more at Hogwarts this year, and make damn sure to owl me and tell me all about it as soon as you do.” He rested his hand on her cheek and leant down to kiss her forehead.

Hermione’s eyes welled up and she let out a small laugh, “Thank you Harry, Don’t worry you’ll be the first person to know when I find it.”

She jumped at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a crushing hug.

“Hey! Where’s the Ron love at?” Ron yelled with a huge smile.

Hermione let go and turned to arch an eyebrow at him.

“Harry’s right. I really don’t understand what you’re on about ‘Mione but if you’re saying it then it’s gotta be really smart and right. I’ll miss you but if you think that it’s what you need to be doing then I’m sure it’s exactly what you need to be doing.”

She jumped at him next, giving him just as bone-crushing a hug as he gave Harry, “I’m sorry I yelled at you Ron, I understand that you’re not the same as me, you see things differently and you’re not wrong, well not completely.” She laughed to let him know she was joking, “I guess right now we’re just going down different paths, which makes sense, I mean that is why we broke up isn’t it? We know we’re different, a bit too different to be in a relationship but you’re still my best friend-“ Harry interrupted with hacking coughs that fooled no one, “One of my best friends-“ Hermione corrected, letting go of Ron to throw a sassy look at harry over her shoulder, “-and nothing will ever change that.”

“You’re right, as usual. Now enough soppy girl talk! We’ve got all summer to make sure you don’t forget us when you’re up in Scotland and if we’re gonna get all the partying done we need to start right away! I’m gonna round up the gang! Harry you get the booze, we’re throwing a party!” Ron yelled over his shoulder as he ran to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder.

 

 ***

 

“Draco? Draco dear? Come downstairs please, it’s time for dinner and you’ve got a letter.” Narcissa’s voice was soft and low from outside the library door where he was reading.

He sighted and stood up, rolling his shoulders to work out the cricks that had appeared due to sitting hunched over slightly for hours.

When he finally made his way downstairs, his mother was waiting at the dining table with a letter in her hand, not having touched her dinner yet.

As he approached the table she looked up at him and held the letter out towards him, “It has the Hogwarts seal on it.” She said warily.

Neither of them knew what to expect from the letter, they had their house elves checking their incoming mail for curses, hexes, jinxes, and any sort of harmful contents but it wasn’t that they were wary of, it was the news the letter might hold, what could McGonagall possibly have to say to Draco? From past experiences, multitudes of letters holding reprimands and other not so kind words, they believed it could only be something unpleasant.

He carefully broke the seal and pulled out the parchment inside. Narcissa watched him read the letter, her posture ridged, waiting for some kind of sign from Draco of what it could be but he wasn’t giving away a thing. His eyes were scanning the parchment rapidly but his facial expression remained blank so that when he had finally finished and looked up at his mother she still did not know what the letter contained. She feared it was something terrible and wished she had had the forethought and strength to read it herself and burn it after if it had been hurtful, but the war and the backlash of their actions had taken Narcissa’s fight from her, some days she felt that if it weren’t for Draco she would have given up, ran away to France where no one knew her. As it was she had presented the idea to him anyway, but he refused, had told her that this was their home and what they had done during the war deserves far worse penance than what they had received; a hefty fine to be paid to the ministry and a five year probation where they must check in with their probation officer once every month, compared to what Lucius had received it was an easy get away.

Lucius, due to his previous affiliation with Voldemort and the Dark Arts, his breakout from Azkaban, his crimes committed during the war and all the testimony’s given by his victims, did not get away nearly so easy. He was sentenced to life in Azkaban, not nearly quite so terrible since the eradication of the Dementors, but still jail where he will remain for the rest of his life. By the time the war had ended Lucius had already become a broken man, he was a mere shadow of the man he had been before, Voldemort had broke down the proud vile man into a small fearful yet no less vile man, despite how Voldemort led his regime, despite the many inconsistences revealed in the pureblood “logic” and blood supremacy, Lucius managed to hold to his views and opinions of muggle-borns and muggles being less than they are, belonging below them. This was revealed during his trial under Veritaserum, he never stood a chance and as Draco believed he didn’t deserve one, he had dragged both him and his mother through hell, turned his home into a house of terror and made him commit atrocities in the name on pureblood supremacy and Voldemort’s name. He was never a loving father, quite a violent one in fact, when Narcissa wasn’t looking that is and Lucius being in jail wasn’t something Draco pitied him for, no, all he could feel was relief.

“Draco?” His mother’s voice was weak, “Are you going to go back?”

She had finished reading the letter, her hands shaking as she placed it back onto the dining table and her head bowed so he couldn’t see her expression.

“I am.” He replied, having made his decision as soon as he had read the letter.

Narcissa finally looked up and he could finally see her face, streaked with tears, lips finely trembling.

He took the seat next to her, taking one of her hands in both of his, “I’m sorry Mother, I don’t want to leave you alone but I have to go back. This is a great opportunity for both of us, to get back the pride, a better kind of pride, based on our accomplishments rather than purity, of the Malfoy name.”

“Oh Draco! I don’t care at all for the bloody Malfoy name!” Narcissa blurted out angrily, “If you are insistent on going back then I beg of you, don’t go out of obligation or for such… empty reasons, I beg of you… do as Headmistress McGonagall says, go to make your last year at Hogwarts a happy one, one you can look back on, in the no doubt difficult years to come, with nostalgia. Draco, my boy, go back to live the sort of sixth and seventh year that you never got to. Please, for me Draco.” She gripped his hands almost painfully as she begged him with wide eyes.

“For you Mother, anything.” He promised her, the fondness in his voice unmistakable.

Narcissa smiled widely at him, and he couldn’t help but smile back, such an expression was unusual on her face.

He got up, leaving her to eat her breakfast as he replied to McGonagall and sent it off, watching his eagle glide through the sky and into the distance he felt, for the first time in a long time; hopeful.


	2. Chapter Two

That summer was spent half of it mourning and taking care of issues, and the other half drinking, laughing and partying both in the magical and the muggle community, in an attempt to pretend they were all doing fine.

Now they were all standing at Kingscross Station in front of the Hogwarts Express, Harry and Ron had come to see Hermione and Ginny off. Trying not to cry, Hermione pulled them into a hug and buried her head into their shoulders.

Ron laughed, “Don’t worry ‘Mione, it’ll be Christmas before you know it!”

She let them go with a small, watery laugh and bent to retrieve her trunk while Ginny said her goodbyes.

Just before they left to get on the train Harry bent to whisper in Hermione’s ear, “Remember to write me when you find it, and even when you haven’t. I’ll miss you, I don’t know how Ron and I are going to get through our Auror training without your help.” He whispered with a laugh, bringing her in for another hug.

“Oh, you’ll manage.” She laughed, “You did get an O for your Defence Against the Dark Arts after all!”

Ron barked out a laugh, “Yes and ‘Mione here only got an E! She’s never gonna get over that mate!”

“There’s nothing to get over! I don’t care about it!” Hermione said unconvincingly.

“Hermione! The trains going to leave without us!” Ginny called from one of the trains openings.

“Damn, I’ve got to go! Don’t forget to write me! And good luck with your training!” She pulled the boys in for another quick hug before levitating her trunk and running onto the train right behind Ginny.

“Bye ‘Mione!!” They called behind her.

She and Ginny looked at each other, mouth pulled into wide smiles before bursting out laughing with no apparent reason why except the light feeling in their chests and sense of familiarity and joy; they were going back to Hogwarts!

“What are we laughing at?” a dreamy voice said from behind them.

“LUNA!” the two girls yelled, pulling her into a hug.

“We saw you guys two weeks ago.” Another voice said filled with humour, and a tall boy appeared from the doorway behind Luna.

“NEVILLE!” they called again jokingly as they pulled him into the hug.

“Come on let’s find a compartment, there probably isn’t an empty one left now.” Neville pulled out of the hug to look out the window, seeing that they were already moving along the tracks and out of the station.

They walking down the hallway levitating their trunks behind them, searching for a compartment that wasn’t full.

“Hey! Hey guys down here!” Dean Thomas’ face appeared from a compartment ahead of them and they hurried down and inside.

Inside was sat Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, “Thanks Dean!” Ginny said brightly.

“Do you guys know which Eighth Years are coming back?” Dean asked the group.

“We know for definite that the Patil twins aren’t and of course, Harry and Ron aren’t but that was front page news in The Daily Prophet a while ago.” Hermione says rolling her eyes at the end.

“Have you seen anyone on the train yet?” Neville asked.

“Nah, we were some of the firs’ ones on tha train but we… uh we ‘ad the curtains drawn and didn’ see people walkin’ past.” Seamus blushed beetroot red towards the end of his sentence and everyone shared small smiles. It wasn’t much of a shock when Dean and Thomas told them they were dating, hell, a lot more people were surprised when Harry and Ron said they never have.

They chatted for a while before Hermione stood, “Sorry everyone, I’ve got to go to the front of the train to meet with whoever the Head Boy is and the Prefects.”

She turned to Ginny, “Gin, if I don’t make it back to the compartment in time could you take my trunk with you?”

“Sure ‘Mione. Have fun!” She laughed.

Hermione chuckled as she left.

She had barely walked past three compartments when she heard, “Granger!”

She turned to see Theodore Nott jogging slightly before stopping at her side, “Can I help you?” she asked.

She couldn’t recall having a conversation with Nott before, ever.

“Yeah, you’re no doubt Head Girl right?” he raised an eyebrow at her.

“Yes, I am. Why?”

He raised his robes slightly, showing her the badge adorning them which had ‘HB’ on it.

“You? You’re Head Boy?”

“Yep… is there a problem with that?” he tilted his head at her, a small smirk playing on his face.

“Perhaps… I won’t stay quiet if I see any preferential treatment going on Nott.”

Nott turned away, but not before Hermione saw a small smile on his face, “Ditto Granger.”

Hermione narrowed her eyes but relented, tilting her head in acknowledgment.

The rest of the walk up to the head carriage was silent.

Hermione knocked tentatively on the carriage door before sliding it open, inside were three adults; two, a man and a woman Hermione had never seen before and the other was Charlie Weasley.

“Charlie? What are you doing here?” she asked, stunned.

Charlie had never gone back to Romania after the war but had stayed with his family to mourn Fred and help his parents and family get through everything but he had never mentioned anything about coming to Hogwarts and she had just seen him a few days ago at the Burrow.

“Hi Hermione! Thought I’d surprise you! I’m the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor!” He said, smiling brightly. He jumped up and gave her a hug, pulling away to nod at Nott, “You must be the Head Boy, Theodore Nott right?”

“Right.” Nott drawled, “You’re a Weasley?”

“Yep. The eldest.” Charlie said slightly sharply, sensing Nott’s derisive tone.

“Going to introduce us Charlie?” Hermione gestured to the other two, having almost forgot their presence.

“Oh right, Hermione, Theodore, this is Roan Donte. He is going to be the new Muggle Studies professor and this is Leah Moakley, she is the Transfiguration professor.”

Both Professor Donte and Professor Moakley were relatively young, good looking people, along with Charlie, they were all going to be big gossip at Hogwarts for a good while until people got used to their presence.

“Nice to meet you guys, do either of you take muggle studies?” Donte asked.

“No sorry, we don’t.” she answered with an apologetic smile.

“Actually Granger, I do.” Nott drawled from behind her.

She whipped around in shock, “What? Since when?”

“Since the ministry deemed it necessary for all students whose family have been affiliated with Voldemort and the Dark Arts to attend the subject so as to better understand muggles.” Nott’s tone was bland and she couldn’t tell at all what he felt about it.

Suddenly something registered in Hermione’s head, he had called him Voldemort. She watched Nott with narrowed eyes, all of _his_ followers called him the Dark Lord, the fact that Nott called him Voldemort meant something; she just wasn’t sure what.

He turned to face her, “Something I can help you with Granger?”

“…No.” she turned away and took a seat next to Charlie at the table.

“So, who is leading the meeting and when are the prefects getting here?” she asked Charlie.

“That’d be me.” He smiled at her, “The prefects will be here in about ten to twenty minutes so I guess we better get started. There’s not much I need to tell you but you and Theodore will need to discuss and whip up a prefect patrol router and you have a couple of other responsibilities to be getting on with.”

With quite a bit to do the time passed quickly and then the prefects were entering and the room became quite crowded. Hermione recognised a few people but no one she really knew personally, that meeting lasted a while until it turned dark and Charlie stood up and addressed the room, “Alright guys, I think we covered everything, if you have any questions stay behind to talk to me but if not, hurry back to your compartments and I’ll see you in class!”

Hermione was one of the first out the door, the train was so close to Hogsmeade Station and she hadn’t even changed into her school robes yet! She was jogging down the hallway when someone stepped out of a compartment and they collided hard, sending them both sprawling on the ground.

“Ow fuck!” Hermione shouted, rolling off them and rubbing her shoulder.

“Damn Granger, who knew you had such a potty mouth?” the person she collided with said with a chuckle.

“Zabini.” Hermione groaned.

“Lovely to see you too Granger, would have been lovelier of course if you hadn’t tackled me to the floor.” Blaise Zabini smirked at her.

“Are you both going to be getting up anytime soon, I would like to leave this compartment at some point?” Drawled another person’s voice from inside the compartment Blaise had just left.

Hermione looked up from her position, sat on the floor, to see Draco Malfoy looking down at her with a light eyebrow raised.

The first thought that flashed unbidden through her mind was _he looks better_.

The last time she had seen him had been after the battle of Hogwarts, him and his family had been huddled together in the great hall looking quite ragged and run down, but then so had everyone in the hall at that time, or worse.

Now he was standing here, tall and healthy, he had regained some of the weight he had lost over the war that had made his sharp features razor-like and harsh, now they were smoother and his body, rather than looking like a twig that could snap at any moment was now more muscular.

“Can I play next? I’m great at the staring at each other without blinking game.” Nott said sarcastically.

Hermione realised her and Draco had been staring at each other while she was lost in thought, she shook her head and shot a look of contempt at Nott before standing up and straightening up her clothes.

She looked at each boy in turn, not bothering to register the people behind Draco still in the compartment and turned to leave without another word.

As she hurried down the hallway she heard Zabini’s voice behind her, “Granger’s looking goo-Oomph! Watch where you’re stepping Draco!”

“I wouldn’t have to if you had gotten up already.”

She arrived at her compartment and threw the door open, everyone inside was already in their robes.

“We’re almost at Hogwarts Hermione, you might as well forget putting your robes on.” Ginny commented as Hermione pulled her trunk down and yanked her robes out.

“I can’t, I’m Head Girl! I won’t be making a very good impression or setting a good example if I arrive at the feast wearing my muggle clothes!” she yelled, running out of the compartment, leaving her trunk open on the floor, trusting Ginny to sort it out for her.

She had barely finished changing when she felt the train come to a stop, sighing with relief she exited the train toilets where she had changed and left the train with the droves of others, hoping to spot her friends before she got to the carriages.

She jumped in place when she got off the train, failing to see over the tops of people’s heads due to her smaller than average height. As she jumped she felt to ridiculously large hands come up under her arms and grip her upper arms, lifting her from her feet and way over the heads of her peers.

Hermione let out a shrill scream that had heads turning swiftly.

“’Mione it’s me! It’s ‘Agrid! Calm down!”

“Hagrid?! What on earth are you doing?”

Everyone within ear shot had turned to look at what was going on now, most laughing so much they were turning red. Hermione turned her head towards a particularly loud laugh to see Blaise Zabini clutching his sides, bent over next to Nott, Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson and Goyle who were all smirking.

Hermione’s face immediately went bright red.

“Thought ya migh’ wan’ a ‘and findin’ wha’ you were lookin’ for ‘Mione.”

“Thank you Hagrid, could you please put me down now.” Hermione struggled to keep calm, she knew he meant well but she was not looking forward to facing the Slytherins’ anytime soon.

He placed her feet safely back on the ground so she could turn to look up at him, “Do you see Ginny, Neville or Luna anywhere Hagrid?”

He looked up and around at the student then turned back to her and shook his head, “Sorry ‘Mione.”

“That’s alright, I’m sure I’ll find them at the carriages. Shouldn’t you be gathering the first years for their trip across the lake?”

“Oh Shit! Uhh I mean oh no! You didn’t ‘ear that right ‘Mione?”

“Didn’t hear what Hagrid?” She couldn’t help the small smile that appeared on her face.

He winked at her, “I’ll see you up at ‘Ogwarts ‘Mione! Good luck finding your friends!” he yelled as he turned and began shouting in a booming voice for the first years to come to him.

Hermione sighed and turned back towards the path to the carriages, she hadn’t even got to Hogwarts yet and already she’s been embarrassed multiple times, she hoped this wasn’t the beginning of what it was going to be like for the rest of the school year.

She trudged her way over to the carriages, picking an empty one rather than walking up and down through the mud, searching all of them for her friends. She settled herself onto the bench, leaning her head back and resting her eyes.

She quickly fell asleep, more tired than she had realised and only awoke as the carriage was moving and hit a bump in the path, jostling her head. She immediately realised there were five pairs of eyes staring at her curiously; the Slytherins were in the carriage with her. Malfoy, Zabini, Nott, Parkinson and the eldest Greengrass sister, Daphne were all _still_ staring unabashedly.

“Hi?” Hermione seemed to say inquisitively, unsure of the situation she had found herself in.

They all seemed to blink in sync, then Zabini smirked, “Sleeping Beauty awakens.”

Everyone turned to him, looking quizzical and it was only then that Hermione realised what he had just done, “That was a muggle reference!” she exclaimed.

Zabini raised one eyebrow and Hermione had a moment of envy, she wished she could do that.

“Yes it was.” He replied simply.

“You know muggle references?!” Pansy Parkinson shrieked, scooting away from Zabini slightly.

“Oh get over it Pans, so he knows a muggle reference, he’s not going to infect you with muggle cooties.” Daphne Greengrass rolled her eyes at her friend.

“But-“

Nott cut her off, “What was he referencing?” he was staring at Hermione unwaveringly, it made her feel vulnerable.

“Um, it was a reference to a muggle fairy-tale that they tell their children, like ‘Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump’ or ‘The Tale of the Three Brothers’.”

“So… tell us the story.” Nott smirked.

“I hardly know it off by heart… but I suppose I could give a basic explanation.”

“I don’t want to hear some stupid muggle story! You don’t either right, Draco?”” Pansy whined.

“Then put your fingers in your ears, I do actually want to hear it.” Draco drawled.

Now that certainly surprised Hermione. Pansy huffed, crossing her arms and turning to stare out the window moodily.

“Go on then Granger, dazzle us.” Draco turned to smirk at her.

She tried to stop the blood she could feel rushing to her face but from the answering smirks of all the boys in the carriage she was sure she had failed.

“Right.” She straightened her spine and lifted her head, “Muggle fairy-tales usually begin with the phrase, ‘Once upon a time’. So… Once upon a time a princess was born and her father, the king invited people from all over his kingdom to see her and present her with gifts. Among those invited were three good fairies and when it was there turn to give gifts to the child the first gave her the gift of virtue, the second the gift of beauty. However, before the third could give her gift another fairy arrived, this fairy was known throughout the kingdom to be a cruel and evil fairy and she was angry at not being invited so she cursed the child that on her sixteenth birthday she shall prick her finger on a spindle and fall down dead. Once the evil fairy had left, the King and Queen were distraught but the third fairy stepped forward and told them that though her magic could not reverse the curse, she could change it slightly, soften the results. She changed the curse so that the Princess would not die when she pricked her finger but instead fall into an eternal sleep from which she could only be awoken from by true loves kiss.

As time went by the Princess did indeed grow to be virtuous and beautiful. Fearing the curse, the King and Queen gave orders that every Spindle in the kingdom and beyond be destroyed. They forbade anyone telling the Princess of the curse so as to not bring her misery and dread.

But, as I said, the curse could not be broken and on the Princesses sixteenth birthday she came across a spindle, pricked her finger and fell into an eternal sleep.

Princes from all over the world came to the kingdom to kiss the princess and try to break the curse but none succeeded for years and years until a finally a worthy man knelt at her bedside, their lips met and the princesses eyes flew open. The curse was broken, and the princess and her prince lived happily ever after.”

There was a beat of silence in the carriage.

Hermione cleared her throat, “That’s basically the story my mum told me but there are many different versions of how it happens but the basics tend to stay the same; A princess is born, cursed, falls into an eternal sleep and is awoken by true loves kiss.”

“I have some questions.” Daphne piped up, her voice showing she was unsure of herself.

“Fire away.” Hermione said, intrigued.

“Um well, fairies? What are they?”

“Oh well, they’re kind of like Cornish pixies except not at all.” Hermione laughed. “Imagine a woman with small delicate features the size of a Cornish pixie with insect wings, a fluffy dress and a wand with a star at the tip.”

Five perplexed faces stared back at her. “It’s a bit difficult to explain to be honest.” She said timidly.

“Do you have any pictures?” Zabini inquired.

“I thought you knew about this?!” Parkinson yelled.

“I’ve read the story, well a slightly different version of the story, but it didn’t have pictures.” He drawled.

“I’ll find one and give it to you.” Hermione smiled at him.

“Much appreciated darling.” He gave her a wink.

“Are you flirting with her?!”

Hermione cringed, Pansy’s banshee-like screeches were starting to give her a headache.

“If I were flirting I would be much more overt than a single wink, Pans. And though I wouldn’t mind flirting with Hermione, I rather like not being hexed.” He gave Hermione a sly smile.

“I have a question.”

Everyone turned to look at Malfoy, surprised.

“Yes?” Hermione inquired hesitantly.

 “How was the man who woke her worthy? How was it ‘true loves kiss’ as you put it.” His eyes met hers.

She wasn’t sure what to make of his interest in the story, gathering nothing from his utterly blank expression.

“Um, I don’t really have an answer for that. A lot of muggle fairy-tales are the same in that respect, they derive from quite old stories and many of the original stories are quite sexist, though modern adaptions aren’t always the best either. There’s normally not really an explanation for why they are each other’s true love, they just are.”

Malfoy nodded in acknowledgment and turned away, looking like he was lost in thought.

“I have a question!” Zabini shouted, raising his hand, waving it about and leaning almost all the way off of the edge of his seat.

“Is that supposed to be an impression of me in class?” Hermione said blandly.

Zabini suddenly looked uncomfortable, “Ah no?”

Everyone was watching her warily and Hermione couldn’t help but smile, “Is that an answer or a question?” she laughed.

“Uhhh…”

“I’m pulling your leg Zabini, breathe. You had a question?”

He smiled widely, “You’re not so bad Granger. Call me Blaise, and yes I do! It’s not about Sleeping Beauty though.”

“And you’re not quite so terrible I suppose, you can call me Hermione. What is it then?” She smirked at him as he clutched a hand to his chest over his heart, “Argh! You wound me!”

“Hurry up and ask your bloody question, we’re almost at the castle.” Malfoy snapped at Blaise.

“Alright, alright! What is your favourite muggle fairy-tale Hermione?” he winked at her as he said her name.

“That’s a difficult question. I suppose growing up I loved watching Beauty and the Beast most, probably because I identified with Belle and her love of reading and feeling of being unusual.”

“You would love the story about a bookworm wouldn’t you?!” Parkinson laughed cruelly.

Everyone turned to see how Hermione would react but she just stared at Parkinson, looking bored. As the awkwardness grew, Parkinson’s laughs stopped and she began looking uncomfortable.

“W-what? Stop staring at me!” She blurted out.

Suddenly Hermione smiled widely, basically just baring her teeth and her hand came up suddenly causing everyone else in the carriage to flinch but it turned out she was just pointing out the window, “Oh look, we’re here.”

The carriage came to a sudden halt and Hermione jumped up, stepping over some of their legs and exited the carriage.

“Bye! I’ll get that picture to you Blaise!” She yelled over her shoulder as she ran over to her friends she had spotted in the crowd due to the brightness of Ginny’s hair.

“Ginny! Luna! Neville!” She yelled, purposely barreling into Ginny and jolting her forward.

“Watch it! And where the hell have you been?” Ginny turned, raising her eyebrows at Hermione.

“I looked for you but I couldn’t find you! Had to ride in a carriage full of Slytherins. Though I suppose that could have gone much worse.”

“Slytherins?! What Slytherins?!” Ginny yelped.

“Calm down Ginny, it was fine. They were surprisingly not bad, except Pansy anyway.”

“Pansy? You were in a carriage with the Slytherins in your year?!”

“Yes Ginny.” Hermione sighed, “You’re being dramatic, like I said they weren’t that bad.”

“Weren’t that bad as in they didn’t try to curse you or weren’t that bad as in they just ignored you?”

“Weren’t that bad as in we had a relatively pleasant discussion about muggle fairy-tales.” Hermione stated.

Ginny and Neville both turned to gape at her, “M-muggle fairy-tales?” Neville stuttered.

“That is what I said.” Hermione smiled at them before quickening her pace to catch up with Luna who had gone on walking without realising the others had stopped it seemed.

Luna was looking around at her fellow students with sadness. “What’s wrong Luna?”

“There is so few students this year compared to before.” Luna said, her dreamy voice thick with sadness.

Hermione wrapped her arm around Luna’s shoulder, “I know, everyone is scared and apprehensive right now but they’ll get more and more students as each year comes. Right now is just too soon for a lot of people, especially considering this is the place where so much happened. Hogwarts was always considered the safest place for witches and wizards in Britain but it’s hard to come to terms with that when it was also the place where children were tormented and tortured, and where Voldemort walked… but he’s gone now, it’s just going to take a while for some people to really believe it.”

Luna lifted her own arm to wrap around and squeeze Hermione’s waist, “You’re right of course,” her voice was back to being light and breezy, having lost the sadness to it, “and I heard you say the Slytherins are back, that’s good… they belong here too, I just hope there isn’t going to be any more animosity between anyone… we should all be friends don’t you think?”

“I don’t know Luna, with everyone’s history I don’t think it would be that easy. Maybe we’re just too different.”

Luna sighed, “But we’re not so different, not really.”

Hermione shook her head with a small smile, “Come on, we’re lagging behind a bit, let’s get going before they start the sorting.”


End file.
